Starter for automobiles.



G. H. WOLGOTT.

STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES. 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909. 953,885, 7 Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

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STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILES APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1909..

953,885. Patented Apr. 5, 1910. v Q 1 I k H B 2.

anentoz UNITED strArEs reruns? ()FFICE cmmrins HOMER woLcor'r, or ronsYTH, GEORGIA.

STARTER Iron AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters .Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application filed June 1, 1909. Serial No. 499,287. I I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HOMER VVoL- ool'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forsvth, State '0 Georgia, have invented a new and useful Starter for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for starting hydrocarbon engines, the principal object of the. invention being to provide pressure-operated means whereby the starting can be effected automatically.

Another object is to provide mechanism of "this character designed to-be actuated by fluid under ressure, such fluid being utilized for driving a motor, which, inturn, operates clutch mechanism of novelform.

A still further object is to provide a novel form 0f-clutch for. starting the engine shaft, said clutch being so constructed as to auto matically disengage from the shaft as soon as the engine starts.

-thereto- Fig.

through the clutch mechanism. Fig, 3 is v a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing, on a reduced scale, a. modified form of apparatus With these and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accom a'nying drawings the preferred form 0 the" invention has been shown.-

.In said drawings :-Figure l is'a plan view of a portion of a supporting frame having the present improvements applied 2 is an enlarged section Referring to the figures by characters of n e, 1 d sign tes a supp rt ng truce in whi h an engine haf 2 is j rnal d, g a 3 Se ure be and r bl there being a with the she and meshing with another gear 4, which is secured to a crank "shaft mounted within suitable supports 6. A pitman 7 is connected to the crank shaft 5, and

also to a piston 8, which is designed toreciprocate within a cylinder 9 having an air intake valve 10. A pipe 11 connects this cylinder with a storage tank 12, there being a check'valve 13 within the pipe for preventing back pressure. A pipe 14 is employed for conveying air under pressure fr m he ank 1 to a r ta y meter 15., the

shaft 16 of which has asproclqet. 17. secured thereon. This sprocket'isdeslgned to drive a chain is'which engages and extends partly in the county of Monroe and clined faces of the teeth 21 will ride along the inclined faces of the teeth 22 and automatically shift the member 20 laterally so as to cause the teeth to. disengage. Sockets 2% are formed within the clutch member 20 and spring-pressed pawls 25 are. slidably mounted within them and project beyond that face of the member 20 opposite the face on which the teeth 21 are formed. These pawls normally engage ratchet teeth 26 formedupon a secondary intermediate clutch member 27, there being an annular flange 28upon the said member 27 which constitutes means for spacing the members 20 and 27 the proper distance apart. Radially ex-- tending ratchet teeth 29 roject from the member 27 and are locate onthat face of said member which is opposite the face on which the teeth 26 are formed. These teeth 29 are designed to engage similar teeth 30,

which are formed upon a collar 31, keyed j or otherwise secured to the engine shaft 2,

there being a central socket 32 withinthis member 31- and in which is seated av coiled Spring 33. Said spring is designed to bear against the member 27 and hold the teeth 22 and 30 normally disengaged and the teeth .21 and 22 normally in engagement.

' In Fig. 2 of the'drawings the parts have been shown in the positions assumed by them i started in the manner hereinafter described.

while the engine is being It is of course to be understooctthat when theshaft 2 of the engine is in motion the gears 3 and t will actuate the piston 8 through crank-shaft 5 and pitman and this piston will operate to direct air under pressure into the tank 12 where it will be stored at a desired pressure, any suitable, I

means, such as a. Safety valve 34, being utilized to permit escape of the stored air when the pressure reaches a predetermined point. The pipe 14 is designed to be closed by a Valve 35,which can be operated manually from any suitable point. As hemofore Y and sprocket 17 to rotate.

stated, the teeth 21 normally engage the rest and it is desired to start the engine, the

operator-opens the valve and the fluid under pressure promptly passes from the tank 12 to the motor 15 and causes shaft 16 Motion will therefore be transmitted through chain 18 to the sprocket 19 and the main intermediate member 20 of the clutch will thus revolve inthe direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1, thus causing the inclined faces of the teeth 21 to slide along the corresponding inclined faces of the teeth 22. The clutch member 20 will therefore be shifted laterally out of engagement with therteeth 22, and, at the same time, the teeth 29'will be pushed into engagement with the teeth 30. The clutch member 31 will therefore rotateand the shaft 2 will, be moved therewith until the engine to which said shaft is connected'has properly started. This shifting action of the member 20 of the clutch of course causes the spring 33 to compress. As soon as the engine starts and the shaft 2 rotates under its own power the supply of fluid should be cut off from the motor 15.

Until this is done the spring 33 will not throw the clutch member j20back into en- Y gagement with the clutch member 23. After of air within the tank 12 is begun and the -mechanism is thus ready to be again operated in the manner hereinbefore described. If preferred, and as shown in Fig. 3, the clutch mechanism herein-described can be dispensed with and a motor 36 may be ous changes may be made in the constructlon and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A-starting device for explosive engines, including an engine driven shaft, a motor, a motordriven clutch member upon the shaft, a clutch member securedto the shaft,

rotated to bring it into engagement with the and relatively fixed means for deflecting the revoluble clutch member into engagement with the member secured on the shaft.

2. A starting device for explosive engines, including an engine shaft, a fluid-operated motor, a relatively fixed clutch member, a clutch member secured to and revoluble with the shaft, an intermediate clutch member revolubly mounted on the shaft and actuated by the motor, and cooperating means upon the fixed and revoluble member for automatically shifting said revoluble mem-v ber into engagement with the member of the shaft during the rotation of the intermediate member.

3. A starting device for explosive engines, including an engine shaft, a clutch member secured thereto, a relatively fixed clutch member, a sectional intermediate clutch member revolubly mounted upon the shaft, a pawl and ratchet connection between said sections, a fluid-operated motor for actuating the intermediate member, and cooperating means upon the-fixed and intermediate members for shifting said intermediate member during its rotation into engagement with the member secured to the shaft.

4. A starting ,rnechanism for explosive engines, includin an engine shaft, a clutch member revolu le therewith, a relatively fixed clutch member, mounted for rotation on the shaft, fluid-operated means for actuating said intermediate member, means interposed between the intermediate and shaft members of the clutch for holding said intermediate member normally in engagement with the fixed member, said fixed and intermediate members havin integral means for deflecting the interme iate member when shaft member.

5. Starting mechanism for explosive engines, includin an engine shaft, a clutch member secure thereto and revoluble therewith, a fixed clutch member, an intermediate clutch member .loosely .mounted upon the shaft and between the first members, poweroperated means for rotatin the intermediate member, means interposed etween the shaft and intermediate members of the clutch for .15 holding said intermediate member normally in en agement with the fixed clutch member, said xed and intermediate members having cooperating means for automatically shifting the intermediate member into engage- 12 ment with the shaft member when said intermediate member is rotated in one direction, said intermediate clutch member including movably connected sections and pawl and ratchet connections therebetween. 12

6. Starting mechanism for explosive engines, including an engine shaft, fluid-compressing means actuated thereby, a 'motor, means for directing fluid under pressure to the motor, a clutch member secured to and 139 revoluble with the shaft, a fixed clutch member, an intermediate clutch member revolubly mounted on the shaft, said fixed and intermediate members having cooperating means for shifting the intermediatemember laterally into engagement with the shaft member during the rotation of the inter- -mediate member in one direction, means operated by the motor for rotating said intermediate member, and means for automatically disengaging the shaft and intermediate members of the clutch subsequent to the rotation of the intermediate member in the other direction. l

mechanism for explosive en-.

7. Starting gines, including an engine shaft, fluid-compressing means actuated thereby, a motor,

means for directing fluid under pressure to the motor, a clutch member secured to and revoluble with the shaft, a fixed clutch member, an intermediate clutch member revolubly mounted on the shaft, said fixed and inally disengaging the shaft and intermediate membe s of the clutch subsequent to the rotation of the intermediate member in the other direction, the intermediate clutch member' consisting of separately revoluble sections, and pawl and ratchet connections therebetween. I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in'the presence of two Witnesses. I

CHARLES HOMER WOLCOTT. Witnesses:

J. P. CARSON, A. O. MERRITT. 

